Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-05-19

/ | never saw Nell act so cut up about any
I thing. II seemed as if she couldn't let
nae go, anyhow, though she was usually
very brave.
"BHt oheered her up and laughed at
her fears as well as 1 could, and she help
ed me off with a face that tried TO smile
And as | went out she said:
IF you must go, you must. Bnt, Jim
and such q queer look came over her
do be careful at the curve mountain
cut
II scarcely heard what she said, for
was already outside the door, and the
snow was blowing in my face like fun.
| was soon ABOARD my machine and back
ing into the statTpaiircu Ssl ~
AT 10 o'clock Ye, turnSd 90 the steam
and started. 1t %as'a fe8rfh night. I've
seen terrible weavhar i'm O. ah suutains,
but never knew an 5eygTlpe,t9 US1nble in
the wind as sine did'thHt night We had
the right of way over5an the ssttsssfalns,
and were only to stolI9pcSfeHw water.
So opened the throttJe and Just let her
go. = y'Iseo1q "
"rhe mountains on winter night are
a good deal different from what they be
on summer day, let me tell you. They
loom up twice as high, with their snow
covered sides, and seem lire big glum
giants standing guard over tho valley.
! The silence and desolation awe you and
it didn't seem right TO 20 shrieking and
steaming along the way we did that night
| The storm had LET loose all the evil
spirits in the air, and the wind swept
down with q force thatcould be heard
above the noise OF the train. IL Yhistlad
and yelled at the cab window, and the
great trees rocked and seemed to hold
out their long arms in warning. Either
the wind and the pightor something
else had been depressing me all the way,
and as we got fairly among the noun
tains l felt an awful weight of anxiety
on my mind. LETT my post in m ute
and looked anxiously over the machine,
wondering if there could be anything the
matter with her, though she was as
stanoh and true always as the sun. All
at once, under the gloom ofthe nraj estic
mountain sides, my wifp,s words came
back
"'Be careful d, the Curve Mountain
cut
"0h, nonsensor says I.'Tm fool, If
there was anything wrong the up train
two hours ago would have found il out
and signaled us
But, in spite of me, that BE careful at
the Curve Mountain cut kept ringing in
N ears.
II amt, naturally superstitious, and
didn't know what TO make OF myself. And
to prove that wasn't / put on all the
steam, and the way we whizzed along was
a caution.
"a tall white birch ION spur OF the
mountain was landmark that showed
the curve cut. | determined TO put her
I through the cut AT full speed, ahd put my
hand on the throttle TO pull open the
valve, when as true as Pm living man
my wife's voice whispered In my ear;
Not that one Jim--the brake
at startled me so, did not know what
| was doing. And before khNw IL | had
opened the meeting blouse for ali she WAS
worth, The train came TO a stand still,
and before Dau'(he was firing for me
them could ask question, / had samped
of the cab and was out on the track.
Not thing was out Of place every
rail secure, land the cut was all right as
far as could bed. un 1iof T.
Idiots says, tq. myself SO much
for nonsense; but Il viii cost You your
place. I,t . brr "'i} -
1.-THE conductors ;Rnd hgekeman had
come out 10 set whit was the matter; and,
more 30 avoid nfGttihg tltem and owning
my silly fears than. anything else, l walk
ed ON a little.
"Just around Che curve was "A great tree
trunk, blown aoToss tia tsaok. Going
nearer, saw IL wasn't tree az all, but
stick Of timbbr, and twas fastbned down
10 the raBe! n,y La -.
III IL rushed ont rs ! intended % we
should have BEEN thrown down b 'iProci-
pice .hnndHeds ob'teoet amoue,ttbe large
SiItslf you IL hall isto5d Oh 9@lhd for a
minute "V5r sl'@
"Wpts qp = said the conqa9ar} com
ing ub With the other boys.
"'Notlingf bit that says l. pointing to
the track. IN two minutes we would
every one 6f "a been aewm thea, on the
rocks that IA, our, bodies would / reoS
on / didn't pull her up any too QUICK.
Well, a moreBrateful sch 81 men than
them same Pompops, big BoatQnians
were you never Saw And this watch, an
elegant gold one, too gsDsii fof mesAtbey
gave, me. al ReRp.ift9 TIE Jays Of
death puts RICH and poor on the same
level Esl hiun "ta''t
"Phey ''wouldp,b LET pS 3lqGys ,,their
party, but took me on TO Montreal and
Quebec with them, ana.snch'aa tihre az
had seeing the sights for 4, fay day6l
,"Mell ga1 TO see meg Well you can
guess. And mofe'ni MONTH aftesward
she SAID one day: b. ,rD = ~
'''Snoh'a queer dream as | had about
you, jim, that iffehtp dr5amdd was on
The engine With roq, andSwe gera going
at a frightfal rate. Way in the distance
/ could see a bigi6g1 oh sAe task but
you cbuldhf And you ssaEtaA yt@a open
fbe throttle and gofaster, but cried.
Not that one; 'Jiihj tHs brake. 10 And
then woke dp.li But my trains ready
and must 20. Good by
..Ipifi. '-' dyUr